To the editor:
After the Los Angeles riots, there have been numerous analysis of how and why this tragedy occurred and of whether it was handled properly by the police.My personal belief is that the TV media must share some of the responsibility because of the pretrial publicity in showing the beatings of Rodney King over and over again. I believed this fueled the fires of disgust and resentment with each viewing. This in no way justifies the greater tragedy, the L.A. riots, but could have been a contributing factor.
One wonders at the effect on the morals of the country by the showing of illicit sex scenes many times daily on TV. Dan Quayle took a courageous stand when he opposed the showing of Murphy Brown having a baby out of wedlock. How many divorces are there because some married person believes that adultery is OK because it is shown over and over again on TV?
Familiarity with vice lessens its hideousness, and we get a belly full by watching TV. We are told that we don't have to watch, but some of it is very subtle, and many times illicit sex scenes are added to a normally good story because the writers don't believe it will attract the viewers without it.
All this brings me to the conclusion that TV has become a threat to our way of life by not being responsible for the effects it has on our citizens. TV is very, very powerful when you consider the time each person, child and adult, spends watching TV daily.
Perhaps the answer is to write the sponsors of offensive shows and tell them that it is offensive and it reflects on their company and its products.
David E. Fullmer
Salt Lake City